LESS Alcohol ~ JANUARY 2023 ~ One Day At A Time

mfowler883 · January 2023

MissMay wrote: »

@mfowler883 that is quite the knife collection I must say.
And I thought you were speaking of sharpening your kitchen knives. SILLY ME!

Oh, I was, that was the Calphalon Katanas. They're not in the picture. Not silly....well, okay, maybe silly but not for that.

AF today. Eating better and feeling good, getting rid of some of the vacation weight gain already, slowly but steadily. Sat out on the patio with an okay cigar (Partagas Anejo Esplendido), a Heineken 0.0 and a good book - still plodding through American Insurgents, American Patriots. I really wish it was easier for me to find time to just sit and read.

-m

Stockholm_Andy · January 2023

mfowler883 wrote: »

- still plodding through American Insurgents, American Patriots. I really wish it was easier for me to find time to just sit and read.

-m

Good book but a really sad ending when the colonists end up accidentally leaving the greatest Empire of the time

Stockholm_Andy · January 2023

12 Days AF for January and still going strong. This time around things seem to be going really smoothly.

I have been snacking a little bit in the evening though which I need to knock on the head. I guess my body is craving the calories I'm missing from the booze.

GeeBee08505 · January 2023

@forestdweller1 - wow, wow, wow. Amazing post. Thank you for your insights and a couple of giggles. I, too, have a complicated/colorful family history when it comes to alcoholism and alcohol in general. I guess that’s why I am almost afraid to look too deeply into my own relationship with it.

Last night was another easy AF night. Still a bit under the weather, in bed early.

TGIF! -Georgia

joans1976 · January 2023

Hello! It’s Amanda, I’m back. It’s a new month and a new year! I’ve been thinking about 2022 and 2023. I’ve got some goals for the year and staying 98% AF is one of them. I love this group, I love this thread, it really works.

1/1-1/7: 7 out of 7 AF

1/8: AF
1/9: AF
1/10: AF
Had some cravings yesterday. Just one little drink. Then I thought about the dry mouth, the racing heart beat, the nausea and heartburn and kicked the craving right out of my head!
18 days AF
1/11: AF
More cravings yesterday. I feel like the more I lose control of things around me, the more I want a drink. I joined a cancer support group yesterday, I had to be interviewed for it, to make sure I was “the right fit.” This must be one helluva group! I have an MRI and CT scan tonight after work, yeehaw! I’m going to do my best to not drink when I get home. Maybe I’ll be too tired.
1/12: AF
Well, the cravings were real until I vomited at the MRI and then had to drink two of those barium drinks for the CT scan. Let’s just say I had some stomach issues after that and all throughout the night, so drinking was not an option.
I am going to look at a cat to adopt today, he’s an adult, orange and white. Polydactyl. My other cat’s name is Kramer so I’m tempted to stick with the Seinfeld theme. What do you guys thing? Currently his name is Roger.
20 days AF

Womona · January 2023

@mfowler883 that’s an impressive collection! “Stabby cutty “ had me laughing. I’m glad we are your peeps, you are ours too!

@forestdweller1 thank you for sharing your story. It is a slippery slope to go from social drinking, to finishing a whole bottle. My great-granddad was known as “a nasty drunk”, so to me, “alcoholic” sounds much
more PC!

@joans1976 getting a cat sounds like the perfect thing for you right now! The one you have your eye on sounds adorable. There has got to be an obscure Seinfeld character named Roger, but I can’t think of it. Way better than “Mikva”. Haha! And hey, cats can chill at the kennel while you enjoy Bali! Sorry to hear you had tummy issues with your tests, I forgot all about that stuff you have to drink for the CT. Gak!

@Sinisterbarbie1 glad to hear you are doing more by not drinking! What kind of things? My husband and I are still on the couch reading or watching TV even when it’s an AF night.

My weight is finally coming down. I’ve been good about logging my food, cutting back on alcohol and things in the baked goods category. Not totally eliminated, but really scaled back. Had one glass of wine at wine night, came home and collapsed into bed. This weekend my goal is only one glass per day max.

Off to the gym!

GeeBee08505 · January 2023

@joans1976 - I love the Seinfield cat name idea!! My friend had Kramer and Newman!

RockinRobyn672 · January 2023

1/12: AF - AF last night. We did not go out for date night. After dinner, hubby had a couple of shots of whisky and I had a second Lagunitas IPNA, which helped me avoid late the night snacking (the opposite affect as with the Lagunitas IPAs ha!). We're heading out tomorrow for an overnight stay in NC to purchase a car (if the stars align!) and see family. I've planned for A days over the weekend.

Rolling Total: 9 AF Days out of 12

dawnbgethealthy · January 2023

@lmlmrn

Happy birthday!!

@joans1976
Looking forward to hearing the rename of Roger

dawnbgethealthy · January 2023

I am Dawn, I live in SE BC Canada
My ongoing goal remains, 16-20 AF days per month.
Last month I had 18AF days

I do this diary style to keep track, and post the next morning

Sunday January 08 - AF - Back to work this Monday morning. Ankle is feeling pretty much like it did before the steroid shot, but I was told 2-6 weeks to feel full results. My plan is to have drinks on the weekend and one weeknight.
Monday January 09 - AF - Hoping to go to public skating at the arena on Wednesday during my split shift break. Even when it was really hurting, skates on made it feel comfortable. Hockey skates have a great deal of support.
Tuesday January 10 - AF - As usual, when AF my weight drops after a couple of days
Wednesay January 11 - 2 drinks - Got off of work much earlier than usual. Enjoyed the drinks
Thursday January 12 - AF - Planning on drinks over the weekend

Rolling total: 7AF days out of 12 days.

zensome · January 2023

I get so distracted reading everyone's posts that I forget to post my numbers. I am currently 7/12 AF, which is right on track. Hope everyone is ready for the weekend!

ahoy_m8 · January 2023

zensome wrote: »

MissMay wrote: »

@Stockholm_Andy I am so glad you wrote this in your last post

"Starting to think about how I tackle the rest of 2023. Last time i did a month AF I then dived straight back into my old ways once I'd completed the challenge to myself."

The word challenge as you see is the key.

I moved the LESS Alcohol thread out of the challenges category on MFP as of Dec 2020 into the MOTIVATION AND SUPPORT category.

It was originally started in challenges back in 2017 and I noticed over years of participating that so many people took it as a short term fix and would do a crash course then be right back where they started or even worse.

Drinking LESS needs to be approached as a life style change for the long run. Challenges are fun and sometimes cliché (ex:ice bucket challenge LOL)

Thank you for sparking that thought in my head with your post.

Thank you for sparking that

Thank you for these thoughtful posts. It has gotten me thinking too, I noticed that this thread was NOT in the challenge section and I have to say that I think it makes more sense, at least for me. I am trying to practice moderation and mindfulness about when and why I consume alcohol so calling it a challenge doesn't feel right to me. Challenge implies a fight or resistance to something and I don't want to feel like I am fighting or resisting alcohol. I want to feel motivated to practice moderation.

Thank you for sharing this thought. Meaningful nuance. [ETA: very zen, too]

ahoy_m8 · January 2023

joans1976 wrote: »

Hello! It’s Amanda, I’m back. It’s a new month and a new year! I’ve been thinking about 2022 and 2023. I’ve got some goals for the year and staying 98% AF is one of them. I love this group, I love this thread, it really works.

1/1-1/7: 7 out of 7 AF

1/8: AF
1/9: AF
1/10: AF
Had some cravings yesterday. Just one little drink. Then I thought about the dry mouth, the racing heart beat, the nausea and heartburn and kicked the craving right out of my head!
18 days AF
1/11: AF
More cravings yesterday. I feel like the more I lose control of things around me, the more I want a drink. I joined a cancer support group yesterday, I had to be interviewed for it, to make sure I was “the right fit.” This must be one helluva group! I have an MRI and CT scan tonight after work, yeehaw! I’m going to do my best to not drink when I get home. Maybe I’ll be too tired.

Ha! I hope the group proves to be every bit of the buildup! Hang in there for the scans. Hope they turn up "nothing interesting." (That's what my doctor says.)

[ETA punctuation]

ahoy_m8 · January 2023

@forestdweller1 Thank you for sharing, not "rambling" at all. I really appreciated your perspective. The part where abstinence and moderation are working for a while and then out of nowhere a whole bottle of wine... I recognize myself in that. TBH I'm not sure if it is the definition of insanity or not. I put a lot of stock in the power of habits, and habits can take a long time to change.

@GeeBee08505 Echoing all who said avoiding the setting of habits you want to change sounds like a good strategy. Good on ya! It's nice DH realized his comment didn't land well, too. I understand the irritation, though. I notice I get irritated when other are drinking and talking loud when I'm abstaining (like on weeknights) and when the family is sharing a bottle but I never get a glass of it because everyone drank it all when I was still serving. Honestly, when we go out, I prefer ordering by the glass so I don't have to share.

Apologies for multiple posts (catching up on several pages). AF M-Th. And stuck to the strength routine, too, such as it is. Will have drinks tonight, probably wine. Got an eldercare issue to deal with that will not be pleasant this weekend, but I will be glad when it's handled.

Happy Friday, everyone!

RockinRobyn672 · January 2023

HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY WISHES TO @lmlmrn!!!

RockinRobyn672 · January 2023

@mfowler883 Wow! at your collection. I learn from you. I had to look up the "Belgian coticule". That's a great story and nice to have that heirloom.

RockinRobyn672 · January 2023

@joans1976 You should definitely stick with the Seinfeld theme (I'm a big fan)!

So "Jerry" or "George", or "Georgie" of course, or "Frank" after George's dad (who had orange hair since he's an orange cat, heh, heh). Or "Newman" but only if you say his name with the same enthusiasm as Jerry

.

KacyCarpe · January 2023

I am new to this group and have enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I have never had a problem with alcohol and thus have never felt the need to go AF, but hubby and I decided to do so this year for a few reasons:

He's been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and alcohol is a contributing factor.
We both want to lose weight. Cutting the extra calories from alcohol is a no-brainer.
I've been reading a lot about metabolic disorders, gut health, liver function, and the like. Alcohol is a bad guy in all of them.
Ditto for sleep. Sleep is crucial to health (and weight loss), and alcohol interferes with restorative sleep.
Cost! With the money we save not buying alcohol, especially my go-to, red wine, we can afford to purchase more organic foods.

I think we started on Jan 6; that seems about right, anyway, so it's been a week. I haven't noticed anything dramatic, but then again, I often go a week or more without drinking. Next weekend will be a test as I have dinners out with friends on both Friday and Saturday. I will have to keep reminding myself of these reasons so I don't feel I'm missing out when I'm toasting with my glass of water! LOL

RubyRed427 · January 2023

I had a productive meeting with my therapist. She said you know it takes about 30 days for the cravings to lessen and 6 months for the brain to rewire.

The problem I have is getting to 30 days.

I am with my new husband for a weekend getaway. So, I am not going to stay AF but I will try to stick to 2 glasses with dinner and lots of coffee.

tiptoethruthetulips · January 2023

RockinRobyn672 wrote: »

@tiptoethruthetulips I know what you mean by 'two left feet" but line dancing sounds like a lot of fun. I laugh at myself every time I try to do one of the short cardio dance routines that @dawnbgethealthy shared with us.

First class is on Monday, my may not be so keen afterwards lol. Great to try those dance routines you get a double benefit a bit of exercise and the mental health aspect of laughing!

LESS Alcohol ~ JANUARY 2023 ~ One Day At A Time

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